News

Hotel Business Booms Across Tomball

According to an article by Houston Chronicle, growth in the Tomball area has boosted the hotel industry. Hotel room options in northwest Houston continue to expand as developers catch up with business and population growth.The Residence Inn by Marriott opened in Tomball recently, on Medical Complex Drive. And a 72-room Holiday Inn Express opened on Park Drive in Tomball.Construction recently started on the third new hotel in Springwoods Village, Marriott CityPlace. It is expected to open in November 2018.Woodbine Development Corp. broke ground this spring on the 10-story hotel, which will be the first full-service hotel in the master-planned community.The 337-room hotel, on the eastern end of the CityPlace mixed-use district next to CityPlace Plaza, is being developed in partnership with CDC Houston and USAA Real Estate Co. The hotel will have a restaurant and 33,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor function space.CityPlace is a 60-acre mixed-use development that will be the hub of the planned community.The new Marriott CityPlace will help to diversify event space and accommodations in the region, said King Scovell, managing partner and chief development officer for Woodbine.Springwoods Village is located at Interstate 45, the Hardy Toll Road and the Grand Parkway just south of The Woodlands.The other two hotels in Springwoods Village include Courtyard by Marriott Springwoods Village, which opened in 2016, and Residence Inn Houston Springwoods Village, which opened in 2015.The three hotels offer a range of price points and services, and are all located within walking distance to retail, dining, work and recreation, said Keith Simon, executive vice president of CDC Houston.American Bureau of Shipping is building its new headquarters at CityPlace2. The 10-story office building will be complete in late 2018. And HP Inc. has signed a lease for a new campus in Springwoods Village, to be located at Interstate 45 and Springwoods Village Parkway, just east of CityPlace.With all of the business growth in the region, Springwoods Village has created a new hotel submarket, Simon said.Once complete, Springwoods Village is expected to be home to between 35,000 to 40,000 employees and 5,500 single-family homes.In addition, hotel growth continues off Texas 249 near Noble Energy and Lone Star College-University Park, with a new Hyatt Place off Louetta Road.The oil and gas industry is the primary driver of new hotel development in the region, said market analyst Mark Skinner, with The Highland Group. The Highland Group conducts market and feasibility studies for hotel companies.In addition, the Grand Parkway is also a driver of new hotel projects in northwest Houston, said Barbara Thomason, president of the Houston Northwest Chamber of Commerce.In particular, the area around Texas 249 and the Grand Parkway is a hot spot, she said.The opening of the Grand Parkway has helped to speed the regions growth. In addition, the opening of the $73 million, 6.7-mile Tomball Tollway has helped to ease traffic in growing northwest Harris County and to expand business growth.